The Kids Are Not Alright
by Miss-Inquisitive-Sci-fi
Summary: A world previously inhabited by 10 million people is now empty and desolate. How did this happen? Who was responsible? Captain Pike and Michael Burnham strive to answer these questions and when they eventually find survivors they're not exactly what they were expecting. Can they persuade the violent, scared survivors that there is a better way to live than in fear? Pike Whump.
1. Chapter 1

Captain Pike frowned at the instruments in his hand and glanced up at the barren surroundings; he was getting seriously annoyed that the readings weren't matching what his eyes were telling him. According to their equipment and records this was the capital city of this planet and should have been home to millions of people. Pike glanced around the space and couldn't help but tremble at the eerie atmosphere, there wasn't a soul in sight, not a sound made in what should have been a bustling city.

"I'm not getting any readings that make sense." Michael sounded as annoyed and as puzzled as he was.

Chris pocketed his scanning equipment and turned to Michael. "Me neither. The equipment says everything is fine here yet…"

"Yet there's not a soul in sight." Michael finished for him grimly.

Both Chris and Michael were dressed in civilian clothes that should match this era, not that they had any people on the surface to compare against. General order one was always something in the back of their minds, and Chris had a bad feeling that the disappearance of the people was not part of this planet's natural evolution. Hence the search teams.

Pike looked from one end of the street to the next for any sign of movement but predictably didn't see a thing. Whatever had happened here had turned this place into a ghost town, and there was no sign or clue as to what that could have been. More importantly there were no sign of the millions of inhabitants and life sign readings kept popping up and disappearing on their scans. The entire situation was weird and didn't sit well with Pike.

"Any reply on any of the emergency channels?" Chris asked.

Michael shook her head despondently. "Nothing. It's like there's no one listening."

Pike almost lost his temper. How was it possible for this many people to go missing? He didn't often feel helpless but this was fast becoming one of his worst days in some time, and it was definitely his worst day since being put in command of Discovery.

"10 million people, vanished." He grimly stated. "This was a thriving world, 10 years ago survey teams identified this planet as being close to warp travel. What the hell happened here?"

Michael too put aside her tricorder, strapping it to her waist and ignoring the useless readings. "We need to search for records, maybe we can find something in the official buildings."

Pike nodded agreeing with the plan. They really needed more manpower down here but he was loathe to pull anyone else away from the ship until they knew what had happened here, there were already 10 other pairs spread out across the planet investigating like Pike and Michael. If their scanners were missing something and this place was indeed dangerous then the least crew-members in peril the better, something catastrophic had to have happened to make the entire planet's population vanish.

"Meet back here in one hour?" He queried his officer. Michael nodded and made a note of the current time.

"Good luck Sir." Michael smiled at him before trotting off North.

Pike watched her go and muttered back. "You too Burnham."

* * *

Chris had headed towards the South end of the city figuring he and Michael would cover the most ground and buildings split up; there were numerous buildings across the capital that looked like they would hold records of some kind. Sadly so far Chris had only come across computer terminals that were well and truly dead, there was no power anywhere planet side. As he moved from empty building to deserted street he felt morbid and a little freaked out by the stillness of the place. All over it looked like there had been riots, signs of fighting and it looked like everyone had left in a rush. But where too?

He was just exiting one of the buildings after finding nothing yet again when something caught his eye. Chris glanced to the end of the street and spotted something he had lost hope of seeing: a person, or more specifically a kid. The Captain could barely believe his eyes and he resisted the urge to rub them like this was some mirage. He started towards the kid who was still staring like a deer caught in the headlights.

Suddenly the kid shot off down the street and disappeared round a corner. He was gone so fast Chris hadn't even had time to see what kind of state he was in. Pike frowned deeply and started sprinting towards the boy's last known location, yelling out in the hopes he hadn't scared him off for good. "Hey wait!"

Chris skidded round the corner and just caught sight of the boy disappearing into a building. He shot off after the kid and smashed through the door of the building, desperate to not lose sight of the only person he had seen on this planet. "I'm not going to hurt you!" Pike yelled desperately knowing it was most likely falling on deaf ears.

Pike rushed through the building and caught glimpses of the tail end of the kid, the boy was bloody fast and was giving Chris a run for his money. The Captain ignored his racing heart and continued to give chase, leaping down stairs two at a time just to keep the boy in sight. "I'm here to help." He cried out urgently as the kid looked back over his shoulder and panicked when he saw he was still being followed.

Chris just wished they would come to a dead end soon or the boy became too tired to continue running. He just needed a chance to talk to him and then he could finally get some answers about this place and what had happened here. The kid glanced over his shoulder again then darted through a room to his left, and the footsteps strangely fell silent.

The Captain reached the corner and skidded to a halt. He was breathing heavily and felt a thin layer of sweat plaster his hair to his forehead; his legs burned from the chase and it took a few seconds to adjust his eyesight to the dim lighting this far down. He was pretty sure they had descended several levels below the street and were in some kind of underground bunker, perhaps that was where people had been hiding? Beneath the streets.

He took out his communicator and tricorder, hoping either could she'd any light on the situation or that be could contact Burnham and let her known what he'd seen underground.

Annoyingly both devices failed to display anything properly, all he got was static from the communicator and the tricorder was giving him some odd readings. They could be life signs but he wasn't sure, all he knew was there was something registering in the room he had last seen the kid run towards. He pocketed the useless equipment and carried on with the search.

"Hello?" Pike called out cautiously and took a step forward across the threshold; he stared out into the darkness and saw multiple shapes moving.

Before he got the chance to take another step a colossal force crashed down upon his head and he crumpled to the floor like a puppet who had just had its strings cut. Captain Pike's world descended into darkness as he tumbled over the precipice of consciousness.

* * *

Chris was mildly concerned when he came to and found he couldn't move his hands, felt something tight around his chest and had apparently lost the ability to see. His brain felt like it was still ping ponging in his skull and he groaned all the way back into the world of the living, feeling nauseous and already sporting a thunderous headache. He could also feel something sticky seeping down his neck and grimly mused it must be blood, probably caused by whatever the hell had hit him.

He couldn't remember the moment well but whatever had struck him had felt bloody heavy and would certainly leave a nasty lump for days. Pike finally realised why he couldn't see anything when his eyes fluttered against cloth; someone had blindfolded him with some kind of scratchy material. The implement had been wrapped round his head tightly and was pressed snuggly against his face, letting no light in at all.

"He's awake."

Pike snapped his head to the voice wincing when the sudden movement set his head aflame. Why did he always get himself into these situations? He decided to take a few steadying breaths and take stock of the situation and more importantly get any clues as to who his captor's were, and if possible their number. He also wanted to know where that kid had gone.

The Captain flexed his hands and wrists against the restraining material and identified it as some kind of rope, the knot felt messy and overdone but he had to admit the rope was tied tightly and didn't budge an inch when he twisted and pulled. He felt the restricting sensation across his chest when he tried to roll over and twigged that several loops of rope had been tied round his chest and over his upper arms, keeping his limbs pinned to his body effectively. Again for some reason it didn't feel like a professional job, like whoever had tied the material hadn't really known what they were doing.

Chris suddenly heard footsteps nearing and cried out when a boot pushed and rolled him flat on his back, coming to rest against his chest and pressure was applied. "Stop moving."

He coughed as the foot pressed into his chest, feeling his lungs constrict painfully as they lost precious oxygen. "Okay." He eventually managed desperate for the pressure to be removed.

Thankfully his stillness and words were enough for whoever had stood on him as the pressure suddenly disappeared, Chris gulped in oxygen greedily and stayed where the boot had rolled him. He heard multiple sets of voices whisper and echo throughout the space and wished again that he could see what the hell was going on; he felt like he had just tumbled into another world.

He tensed automatically as he sensed someone near his head. "Who are you?" A deep voice cut through the pounding in his head; it was oddly pitched though almost like someone was putting on a voice.

Chris licked his lips nervously. "My name's Christopher." He felt bold enough to try and get some information of his own. "What's yours?"

Silence followed. Pike strained his ears in an attempt to hear anything but the whispers were too quiet to make out what was being said. Eventually the same deep voice replied. "You can call me Zak." Chris swallowed nervously as he felt Zak walk round his body, stepping exceedingly close to his head. "Where did you come from _Christopher?_"

_Ah, now the tricky question._

Chris also didn't miss the mocking lilt Zak had used, like he didn't believe a word he was saying. Pike couldn't very well tell these people that he was a starfleet Captain not when the planet had no knowledge of starfleet. As far as he knew this was still a pre-warp society so therefore general order one had to be upheld.

"I'm from out of town." Chris decided to go with. "Can any of you tell me why this city is deserted?"

He heard Zak snort. "Out of town huh? You must have come from pretty far."

Chris frowned. "What makes you say that?"

Pike stilled when he felt someone's breath near his face, and realised Zak had knelt down, perhaps to study his expression closely. "Because you're still alive."

Chris couldn't keep the confusion off his face' he had no idea what twilight zone he had just walked into. Zak noticed the expression and jumped back and away from his bound captive. "He doesn't know…"

"But that's impossible." Another voice piped up, a voice that sounded suspiciously young.

"I know that." Zak snapped back impatiently.

"He's lying he must be."

"Look at him! He can't lie about that, he's old."

Pike was a little sick of being kept in the dark, literally and figuratively. He stretched out and attempted to get to his knees whilst the combined voices continued to argue. Sadly someone noticed.

"Hey, he's getting up!"

Chris had just about gotten to his knees when something that felt rather like a baseball bat slammed into his chest, winding him completely. "Stay down!" Zak shouted panicked.

Pike groaned miserably and doubled over, head bowed as his lungs cried out for oxygen and his ribs buckled under the harsh strain. It certainly hadn't been the hardest he'd been hit but it hurt enough to make his chest ache and knock the energy out of him.

Eventually he caught his breath and breathed out impatiently. "I'm not your enemy. I don't know what happened here or who you are but I can help."

"He's lying."

"What if he gives it to us?"

"You know it doesn't work that way idiot."

"He shouldn't even be alive."

Chris tried to keep up with all the conflicting voices but it became too hard, they kept talking over one another and from the sounds of it were trying to disguise what their voices really sounded like. Whoever these people were had information he needed, and Chris was getting sick of the game playing. He decided then and there he was done with his predicament and decided to cut into the middle of their argument, ignoring the cynicism and trying to get his feet to function so he could get off the damned floor.

"To help I need to know what the hell is going on here-"

The voices all stopped when he managed to stand. "Get him back on the floor!" Someone screamed urgently, cutting off Chris' demand.

Pike didn't have time to react or prepare for the assault, hell he couldn't even see what was coming at him. One second he was finally vertical and the next multiple bodies crashed into his chest and he felt himself fall back under the tackle, completely losing track of which way was up as he tumbled under gravity's will. Chris moaned and grunted when his body smashed into the ground powerfully, and his head thudded into the floor forcefully, tasting blood when he involuntarily bit his tongue.

The Captain felt multiple weights fall upon him and heard several yelps when the bodies tumbled over, someones foot caught his chest and he coughed wildly when he was unpleasantly winded again. His thoughts were completely muddled and his head felt dazed again; his senses were overloaded and what he wanted more than anything in the world was this bloody blindfold off. He despised being out of control and he was sick of not being able to see anything, and there were too many noises and bodies crushing him to make out what the hell was going on. Oddly his captors felt threatened by him, even though he was the one bound and blinded.

"Tie down his legs!"

"What-"

Chris felt multiple sets of hands try to grab at his feet in order to bind them together. Of course the idea didn't sit well with him; he did not want to be anymore constrained than he was. He was already at such a disadvantage as it was with no use of his hands or sight, he didn't want to be grounded completely. When he felt the mysterious captors begin to win the war against his legs he panicked, and he kicked out wildly like a bucking horse. He felt his feet catch a solid body firmly and whoever he had just kicked at went flying away crying out as they fell; horrifyingly the shriek sounded like it belonged to somebody very young.

Pike didn't have much time to consider the revelation because soon after he lashed out there were suddenly lots of screams and yells; he felt lots of bodies pile on top of him all at once causing him to groan and his lungs to compress. Chris was helpless and completely pinned to the floor so when his feet were grabbed there wasn't much he could do to avoid the inevitable. He struggled wildly against the insistent weights but to no avail.

"Hang on, we can talk-"

Unfortunately his captors had grown tired of his continued struggles so something whacked his head from behind, hard. The harsh blow cut off his desperate pleas to stop his legs being tied down in their tracks.

"Stop moving!"

Pike groaned and let his head fall back to the ground limply; he felt completely dazed and his body fell silent under the numerous bodies sitting atop of him. He distantly felt his feet being finally forced together and by the time he was back in the land of the conscious and aware it was all too late; thick rope was pinning his feet together tightly and his captors were busy tying up his lower legs too.

He tried to shift or wiggle against the weight of all the bodies sat across his chest and legs but it was no good. Chris was starting to accept that there was nothing he could do to stop this from happening; he was sorely outnumbered and at his captor's mercy.

When they were done all of the bodies leapt off of him like he had spontaneously combusted. He heard them all back away from his bound body and soon there was an upstart of mutterings and whispers. Now he was listening carefully he was convinced that there were children near, and not only that but he was pretty sure it had been kids sitting on him.

"Why are there kids here?" He asked frantically, who in the hell would let children be allowed near violence like this?

The mutterings stopped; silence fell and for the umpteenth time Chris was frustrated he couldn't see anything. He had never felt so helpless. He automatically stilled when footsteps approached his head and then a hand reached out to the side of his head. Chris flinched at the touch but stopped struggling when he realised someone was reaching for his blindfold. They fingered the knots swiftly and roughly pulled the thing from his eyes.

Chris blinked at the sudden change in light, wincing when the accompanying tug from the blindfold brushed his head wound and set off a blaring sharp pain.

"We're all kids."

The Captain used the words as an anchor point but when he registered what had actually been said his mind stalled in disbelief. He looked around wildly and saw children all around the room and him. Some of them looked as young as 10 whilst others were close to adulthood. Chris' gaze swept round the circle until he saw a groaning young boy crouched down clutching at his stomach like he was in pain.

Horrifyingly Pike connected the dots and realised that the kid must have been the body he had booted off of his chest, with all his strength and desperation no less. A sudden pit of guilt opened up inside him seeing the young boy curled up in pain because of some he had done; he could have broken the kid's ribs the way he had bucked him off.

"I'm sorry I didn't-"

"Save it." The kid standing over him growled, Chris looked him and the group over and realised this must be Zak.

He certainly wasn't what Chris had been imagining when he had heard his voice earlier. A mop of scraggly blond hair hung down over Zak's face; it was wild and unkept to reflect its owners personality. Zak was taller than he had imagined, his features were harder and scarred, his face was dirty and bloodied, and his eyes looked like they belonged to a person who had seen far more than a kid should have done. The fake voice had now disappeared which explained why he had missed the fact he had been talking to a kid, well a teenager really. If he had to guess he would place Zak's age at around 16.

Amongst the crowd of boys Pike recognised the boy he had been chasing earlier near the back; the kid wasn't meeting his eye and he hung back behind others sheepishly. Chris felt his mouth go dry and his brain turned to mush; it was like his mind was playing tricks on him and this was all part of some big game. How could kids have done this, why were kids doing this and where the hell were all their parents?

"Where are all the grownups?" He eventually managed to formulate words and somehow put all his frazzled thoughts into one overriding question.

"You're not asking the questions anymore." Zak growled.

He Indicated to one of the kid's to come forward. Chris felt a spike of fear as he noticed the kid had a bow and arrow in his grip and had an arrow loaded, which was pointing in his general direction. Chris recognised the threat and saw determination settle around the archer's features; he was visibly wary and keeping his distance but was much harder and colder than a usual kid.

Now there was a weapon held steadily at his head, Chris shut his mouth and decided staying schtum would be the best strategy for the moment. Zak walked over to a pile in the corner and Chris recognised it as the equipment he had brought down to the planet, and oh god Zak had just picked up his phaser. Zak also picked up the communicator and tricorder then walked over to the Captain's bound position. He knelt down near him but Chris noticed he was careful to keep his distance and to not block the archer's aim.

Pike looked round at the faces crowding him and saw that all of them looked terrified of him, although some of them masked it better than others. It was odd that he was here tied up like this and completely immobile with a bow and arrow pointed at his head and these kids were the ones that were scared.

Zak dropped the bundle next to them both. "What is all this?"

Chris glanced at the pile and hoped to hell Zak would stay away from the weapon. "My equipment." He replied truthfully.

Zak hovered his hand over each of the items in turn, and watched his captive's face carefully. Predictably his hand stopped over the most deadly item in the mix; the weapon, and he picked up the phaser. _Dammit._ Pike stilled and schooled his expression carefully not wanting to let on just how much power Zak now held in his hand.

"And this?" Zak watching Pike's face carefully.

"It's a scanner." Chris carefully replied, hoping his poker face was enough to fool a kid. If Zak's incredulous expression was anything to go by then he was skeptical at best and at worst didn't believe a word Pike was saying.

Zak swayed towards not believing a word of it and smirked. He held out the phaser like a weapon and pointed it at Pike's chest. Chris sighed deeply then glanced at the side of the phaser. He was mortified to see the notch on the gun had been set to overload; Zak and the kids must have been messing with it when he had been passed out. His mind caught up with the fact that Zak's finger was exceedingly close to the trigger. If he pulled it the phaser would overload and it would go off like a grenade in Zak's hand.

"Wait don't." He interrupted urgently and tried to sit up to reach out to the threat; he cursed the rope that held him down and unable to intervene. Zak grinned like a cheshire cat at his captive's defeated expression; like he'd won.

It was time for Chris to put the fear of god into Zak and show him how close he was to getting himself killed. "It's a weapon okay, but if you fire it now it will overload."

Zak's grin fell off his face and he glanced down at the phaser in his hand wary all of a sudden. "What do you mean?"

Pike watched the weapon and more importantly Zak's trigger finger. He indicated with his head to the switch. "The setting is wrong, at the moment it's set to overload meaning it'll go off in your hands."

Zak looked generally fearful and his hands began to shake minutely. "How do I make it normal again?"

Pike didn't exactly want a lethal phaser in the hands of a child, but one that wouldn't kill said child if he pulled the trigger was better than the alternative. Chris didn't want that on his conscience. "Dial the switch round to the left, all the way down."

Zak nodded and quickly did as instructed; after a few seconds the weapon shook less in his hand and the whine emitted decreased. He glanced from the phaser to the power switch and down to Pike. Eventually the previous confidence returned and a small smile spread across his face.

"It's the power setting…" He adjusted the dial to the middle; not all the way round like Pike had instructed and pointed up the weapon at the wall. "…So if I."

Zak pulled the trigger and a lethal beam of energy shot out of the phaser and crashed into the wall with devastating effects. The burst of light lit up the cave and then there was a loud crack and large chunks of rock splintered off; dust filled the air and Chris felt a couple of shards of wall slice into him. The kids all looked at the smoking hole in the wall with awe-struck expressions but they all backed away all the same. Thankfully none of them had been hit seriously by any debris but that had been too close. Zak could cave this place in if he wasn't careful.

"Cool." Zak breathed staring at the smoking hole and the damage he had Inflicted.

Chris snapped. "That's not a toy, you could have gotten us all killed."

Zak switched his gaze to him and Chris realised he had made a mistake snapping at Zak like that. These kids really hadn't had grown ups around and now here was one coming in and telling them what they could and could not do; as you would expect they didn't like it.

Zak pressed the phaser against the Captain's chest and threatened. "I know it's not a toy. Despite what I may look like I'm not some kid."

Chris glanced from the weapon pressed against his chest to the kid who was threatening to blow a hole through him; he corrected his use of the word _kid_ when he met Zak's serious gaze. He saw something in the depths of Zak's eyes that was angry and untamed; he had lived a life that had changed him and made sure he was no longer a kid.

Zak leaned in to whisper. "I've done things you wouldn't believe."

Pike resisted the urge too shiver. He had heard enough empty threats in his life to know this wasn't one. Zak wasn't boasting for the sake of it nor was he particularly happy with the fact that he _had_ seen things no child ever should have to see. He was simply telling the truth.

"Captain?!" A very familiar voice echoed distantly from the corridor.

* * *

**A/N - This is the latest in my line of the adventures of Pike and Michael aboard the Discovery, as usual I've not been very kind to Chris but what's new? As you may have noticed Michael will be making her debut in the next chapter. **

**Enjoy :)**


	2. Chapter 2

"Captain?!" A very familiar voice echoed distantly from the corridor.

_Oh hell, Michael usually had good timing…_

Zak and the other kids all snapped to the sound, and their confidence about having their hands on a weapon was eradicated and replaced by overwhelming fear.

"Who's that?" Zak whispered urgently, making sure that Pike was aware he had a phaser pressed into his kidneys.

How the hell did he play this one, lie and pretend he didn't know her? Tell these kids she was an outsider like he was? Both options had pros and cons but he didn't have time to think about it all properly; Zak was getting impatient so Chris decided to go with his gut.

"She travelled with me."

Zak and the kids shared a frightened look. He licked his lips and returned his attention to his bound captive. "How many of there are you?"

"Just the two of us. More may arrive later though." He added the last bit on incase more officers did beam down from the ship, he didn't want to be caught out in a lie when he was trying to earn trust.

"Hello is anyone down there?" Michael called out again; she was closer this time and on the same level if Pike had to guess.

Zak heard that Michael was getting closer too, so he pulled one of the kids over who almost landed in a heap across the Captain. "Cover his mouth, and make sure he doesn't make a sound." Zak ordered then moved to the center of the room and aimed the phaser at the doorway.

Without further warning the kid pressed his hand down over Chris' mouth harshly, effectively muffling the protest Pike had been about to make to a _harrumph_ sound. With his voice stolen and his mouth blocked Chris breathed stressfully through his nose. He could smell the unpleasant stench of dirt and blood from the kid's hand. The only thing worse than the smell was the sudden appearance of a knife which was soon pressed against his neck, which of course just happened to nick the skin when it was placed under his jugular.

Chris looked up into the kids eyes and saw a very clear warning there; _shut up or else._ Pike swallowed back his protest over the treatment, not that he could have made one anyway with the kid's hand covering his mouth. He began listening intently for footsteps as did the rest of the room. All the kids carrying weapons took up offensive positions facing the doorway; Chris began to panic internally when he noticed how terrified they all looked and how their weapons shook in their hands. It was like watching a ticking time bomb, they all had short fuses and could go off any second turning this place into a massacre…

Michael's footsteps grew louder until she was almost at the door, that was when Zak open fired. The shot went wild and sailed through the open doorway smashing a huge burning hole into the wall opposite the doorway; it sent chunks of concrete flying in all directions just like the blast from earlier. Pike's heart shot into his mouth and his eyes went wide as he desperately watched the chaos unfold, he remembered trying to shout Michael's name but thanks to the hand over his mouth all that came out was incoherent muffling. Thankfully Michael sensed the shot coming and stepped back and away from the deadly blast, and she jumped out of the path of the destruction in the nick of time.

The kid that was covering Pike jumped when the blast went off and he was caught off guard enough to tumble backwards onto his haunches; the knife went with him and the hand pressing down on the Captain's mouth loosened significantly. Chris took his chance and yanked his head from side to side until the hand was out of the way enough to call out a warning.

"Burnham hold your fire! There's kids in here."

Zak's arms trembled which caused the phaser to shake in his grip; his eyes were wide and his mouth parted open in shock. The kid looked like he was drifting into shock and a full blown panic was threatening to cripple him as the situation continued to spiral out of control. Zak glanced from the smoking doorway down to Pike and back up again; he soon came to a decision when he heard Michael begin to shift on the other side of the wall.

"Pick him up, and bring him over here." Zak ordered frantically, waving his arms about but keeping the doorway covered with the phaser.

Two kids popped into his line of sight and Pike soon found himself being hauled upwards and backwards with surprising strength. "What are you-" He started to question the treatment when he was slapped on the back of his head right on top of the lump, interrupting his question and earning a surprised yelp.

"Captain?" Michael had an edge to her voice; it was shaking slightly giving away her anxiousness.

Chris was a little too busy to answer; he was currently fighting against gravity and the kids hauling him across the floor. He was dragged across the ground roughly and because he was so ridiculously tied up he couldn't get his feet or limbs to cooperate. Really this whole moving him thing was a really stupid idea. The kids grunted as they were forced to brunt his full weight and they seemed pissed off that he wasn't helping, but seriously how could he?

A couple of the older boys could see the pair were struggling with their cargo so they came over and hauled the Captain the rest of the way. They dumped him on his knees in front of Zak, and Chris had to fight valiantly to not topple over when his fragile balance was knocked. Zak stepped in close behind him; the phaser was out and pointing in the general direction of his head.

Knowing from this position that Zak was planning to use him as a human shield, Chris eyed the weapon warily and tried to reason with the kid. "Now wait a minute, you don't have to-"

Predictably the attempt did not go well.

"Shut up!" Zak hissed and pressed the phaser firmly against the back of Pike's head forcing his captive to face forward.

Chris tensed up immediately and he could feel how warm the barrel still was from when it had just been fired. He hated the fact that such a deadly weapon was in the hands of a kid and he hated it even more that the same weapon was resting against his head.

"You!" Zak shouted out into the corridor. "Come out where we can see you or we'll kill your friend."

Pike and the kids waited for a reply. Eventually they heard Michael take a few steps closer to the doorway and she called out in a calming tone. "I'm not here to hurt you, there's no need for that."

Michael was trying reason, but the problem was Pike had already tried that with these kids and they had refused out of terror. They were even more up against it now with another adult hammering at their door so their emotional stability was likely to get worse rather than improve.

"You've got 5 seconds." Zak shouted louder and Pike could hear from the slight tremor in his voice that he was becoming desperate. He shook Chris' shoulder roughly to emphasise his threat. "I'll do it!"

Michael must have also picked up on how panicked the kid was, and that he was just as likely to pull the trigger accidentally than actually do it on purpose. "Alright, I'm coming out!"

Pike closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. What a bloody disaster this was; he was damned if he did anything and damned if he didn't. All he knew was he didn't want these kids getting hurt; he wasn't sure if he could live with it. Unbelievably the tension in the room reached another level when Michael emerged through the smoke in the doorway; she cautiously treaded over the threshold whilst carefully avoiding the rubble from the blast. Pike noticed she still had her phaser gripped tightly although it was pointing down at the floor away from the kids.

Michael studied the room tactically and Chris saw her eyes widen in surprise when she noticed the age of all the occupants; he hadn't been kidding when he had warned her that the room was full of children. Eventually her eyes landed on him and he felt her scrutinising stare sweep up and down his body; she was checking over for injuries and frowned when she spotted the dried blood caking his face and head. He saw the unspoken question in her eyes,_ are you okay?_ He managed an imperceptible nod.

"That's far enough." Zak ordered.

Michael came to a sudden halt and warily eyed the primitive weapons pointing her way; even though they were only carrying knives and bows Michael and Chris understood that they could still cause enough damage to be lethal, they could still end lives. Michael assessed each of the weapon holders in turn and ended up focussing on Zak after deciding he was the biggest threat; well it was more about the phaser he was carrying that was the biggest unknown.

"What now?" She asked cautiously.

Zak licked his lips nervously then indicated with his head to her phaser. "Give us that."

Pike groaned inwardly. Now these kids had seen a shiny new toy they wanted their hands on as many as they could get. Michael smiled and tilted her head. "That's not going to happen."

Chris was pleasantly surprised by her resolve. Zak predictably was not. He grabbed a fistful of his captive's hair and thrust the phaser up and under his chin, pulling his head back painfully and damn near choking him with the gun. Pike couldn't help but grunt at the surprising aggression.

Zak shook his head roughly and pressed the phaser dangerously into Pike's throat. "Do you think I'm joking?" He shouted desperately.

Chris closed his eyes and rode through the discomfort, painfully aware that he was very close to death. One slip of the finger and this would all be over. He was growing more and more sure that Zak had it in him to do this. He had to keep reminding himself that even though Zak looked like a kid he had been through something on this planet that Pike would never understand; whatever it was had hardened these kids.

Michael's expression froze over and the warmth she exuded was replaced by a cold look; she dropped the kid gloves. "Do you know what happens to you if you do this?"

Chris felt Zak stiffen behind him and the phaser stopped shaking, he could imagine the kid blinking in shock. Eventually Zak steadied his nerves and replied. "You have no idea what we're prepared to lose."

The conviction behind those words shot straight through Pike's heart, he heard the truth there. Clearly so did Michael as she nodded thoughtfully and appraised them all in a new light.

She licked her lips nervously and glanced behind her. "How about I throw it over there? Then no-one can use it but we can talk." _Smart,_ she was trying to edge the kid's toward diplomacy without giving them even more fire power. "That's what I'm here to do after all."

They were at an impasse for a while and Chris had to admit it was a marvel seeing the two immovable forces at play; they were just as stubborn as one another. Eventually Zak lost patience with waiting and clearly wanted the weapon out of Michael's hands, no matter how he had to get it that way.

"Fine toss it." He relented. "All the way in the corner though." He added as an afterthought.

Michael nodded then did as promised; she powered down the phaser and tossed it into the back corner, far away from anyone. Pike didn't miss the fact that she was still closest to the phaser, not that it mattered that much when Zak and the kids still had ranged weapons.

The only good thing about the tense situation was that Michael had just achieved what Chris couldn't and had started a dialogue with these kids; she had made them compromise and following that had inadvertently created a rapport. With any luck she could run with the momentum and continue to defuse the anger; and the undeniable _fear_ in the room that was making the kids lash out violently. Something which Chris could attest to first hand regrettably.

Michael held out her hands submissively to show she was no threat and let her features slacken and relax; although a small frown appeared as she noted the strain on her Captain's face. He had to admit having his head bent back like this was becoming rather uncomfortable and the phaser was started to restrict his neck.

"I've done what you asked, how about you let my friend breathe a little easier?" Michael kept her tone light and unthreatening; her pleading expression naturally made Zak guilty and made him see his captive as a person rather than just an enemy. Pike had said it before and he'd say it again; Michael Burnham was incredibly smart.

Chris was yanked harshly back into the moment, and he winced when the hand in his hair tightened like Zak had reacted to the words automatically. Zak for his part finally realised what he was actually doing, and the uncomfortable position he was putting the Captain in.

It could have gone either way but after a few seconds of Michael's puppy dog eyes Zak couldn't refuse. "Okay." The Captain felt the phaser lift away from under his neck and he resisted the urge to gasp now his throat wasn't restricted. Instead he swallowed and tried to ignore the burning feeling.

Zak slowly unfurled his hand from Chris' hair and let go completely. Chris closed his eyes in relief and slowly returned his neck to a normal position, stretching out the cricks as best he could without the use of his hands. The instant relief was magical and he nodded gratefully to Burnham. He hadn't realised how painful the position had become; his neck would be sore for weeks at this rate.

"You better stay where you are though." Zak interjected quickly and the panic reared its ugly head again. He placed the phaser against the back of Pike's head in warning.

They were back to where they had started, but Michael was doing well earning Zak's trust and getting the kids to at least listen to her; not to mention this position was a hell of a lot less painful than having his head yanked back like that.

Michael held up her hands fully and smiled reassuringly, her eyes kind and exuding trustworthiness. "Okay, sure. I'm not going anywhere."

Chris felt the tension behind him loosen and he breathed easier knowing that Michael was making progress, even if it was baby steps. He heard Zak mutter nervously. "Good, good."

Pike felt the phaser back off slightly. He was sure it was still hovering close by but the pressure had decreased indicating Zak was de-escalating. Michael had made him believe he was in control and he had all the power which was exactly what he needed to not freak out.

Zak suddenly stopped fidgeting and he cocked his head to the side. "Where did you come from?"

"She's from out of town like me." Pike interjected before Michael blew their cover, he didn't want Michael to destroy the trust she had built. Better he take the hit, literally as it turned out.

Zak swatted him round the head. "I was asking her." He complained.

Chris winced but held his tongue from any further outbursts; his purpose was complete and Michael now knew what he had told the kids so she wouldn't get caught out in a lie.

"We came here to help." Michael started carefully trying to turn everyones attention to her. "What happened to your city?"

Zak clammed up almost instantly and went on the offensive. "No-one can help us." He glanced suspiciously between Michael and Pike. "What I don't understand is how the two of you are still alive."

Michael's face didn't waver too badly but Chris caught it, he supposed he had known her long enough now to pick up on the slightest change of expression; like right now she was in the dark and trying desperately to connect the dots from incomplete information. Michael hadn't been with Zak and the kids when they had been questioning Pike, she didn't have the information that Chris had about something happening to all the adults. Surprisingly Michael cottoned onto the mystery far quicker than Chris had and with much less information.

"All the adults were the one's who died in the invasion weren't they?"

_Invasion, what had Michael found out?_ Perhaps she had had better luck on her search, well she hadn't ended up attacked and held hostage by a bunch of kids so yeah she definitely must have.

"How do you know about that?" Zak frowned heavily; he scratched the side of his head and indicated with the gun to Chris. "He doesn't seem to know anything."

It was true, Chris didn't know a damn thing. He'd been trying to get answers ever since he woke up but the kids here hadn't been very forthcoming, only giving away snatches amongst their paranoid questions and ramblings. They had been much keener on hitting him.

Michael smiled and took a slow step forward; more confident now she knew she was on the right track. "I know it happened some time ago and that after the aliens left people fell ill, they started disappearing."

"One minute everything was fine…" Zak's eyes glazed over and his voice cracked as he relieved the distressing memory. "...my parents, everyone who had reached adulthood they just burned away. To nothing."

The entire room fell silent as Zak opened himself up and put his emotions on display; Chris finally understood what Zak had meant when he had proclaimed he had seen things that Pike wouldn't believe. This was the reason these kids were hardened like they were, why they were suspicious of newcomers and violent; they had lost everything and been left alone on this world.

Chris ran the words over in his mind and thought about the full implications to Zak's confession and Michael's intel; some time ago an invading force had caused what could nearly be described as genocide. Zak's description of the deaths was particularly distressing, his voice had shaken when he finished the sentence showing he was struggling with the memory of watching his family burn away. It would certainly explain the lack of bodies in sight and why for all intents and purposes it looked like the inhabitants of the city had just disappeared, but what could cause something like that to happen?

Seeing that she was finally getting Zak to open up, Michael took another slow step forwards only halting when the bow and arrows snapped up again. "I'm sorry this happened to you. If you let us we can try and help."

The words seemed to snap Zak out of his daze and the frown reappeared on his face. He glanced at Michael suspiciously as something clicked into place, and he tightened his hold on Pike's shoulder powerfully.

"Did this not happen where you came from? Why haven't we heard from anyone until now? It's been 9 years!" He all but shouted as the familiar anger and paranoia returned, he started to tremble as a side effect and once again aggressively pressed the phaser into the Captain's head.

_Dammit._ Chris had thought that Michael was getting somewhere; that she had finally broken through Zak's suspicion and earned enough trust to get him to open up and listen, but here was all of the paranoid questions resurfacing. The worst thing was Pike knew that he and Michael didn't have the answers that would satisfy him, not without telling him the truth about who they were…

For the moment that option was out of the question, this planet was still a pre-warp society and like it or not they couldn't tell Zak and these kids the truth. Chris doubted they would believe them anyway.

Now that his head wasn't thudding so thunderously Chris found he could think straight again, so when he replayed over the conversation he understood where most of Zak's suspicions must have come from. 9 years was a _long_ time and if there had been surviving adults on the planet with tech like Pike and Michael had been carrying, then logically it wouldn't have taken them this long to come to the capital of all places. Michael knew this, Chris knew this, and worst of all Zak knew this.

Michael took a deep breath and tried to salvage the situation. "We've been-"

Her efforts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, not only footsteps but multiple sets of them which were moving fast indicating the people were running. Both Chris and Michael tensed and met each other's eye, surely it was too soon for Discovery to have sent down additional personnel?

Pike watched the rest of the room become rigid and still; fear and a small amount of panic began to rise in the space again. That was until a whistling sound echoed down the corridor which sounded almost like a bird. As soon as the kids heard the sound they all breathed a sigh of relief as one and one or two kids even cracked a smile. The fear and panic vanished and the weapon holder's turned their undivided attention back to Michael and Chris; the one and only threats. The sound must have been a signal of some kind which indicated those approaching were friendlies, which explained why Chris and Michael received such a rude welcome.

Even though the room seemed calmer and most of the kids looked pleased by whoever was approaching, Chris felt that Zak didn't take the same sigh of relief and the pressure on his shoulder and against his head actually _increased_ after the whistle. Zak was clearly still feeling the pressure of the mysterious newcomers, of the people with weapons that shot fire like magic.

It didn't take long for the footsteps to reach the doorway and a trio of boys came bounding into the room; excited and boisterous. Chris only had a microsecond to study them before it all went to hell, well more to hell than the situation they were in now.

The boy at the front of the group was the oldest kid Chris had seen down here, his mind supplied he was the leader because of the age and the way the other kids followed and looked at him. By looks alone he would have guessed he was either 17 or 18, so he was almost an adult. The other two were lanky teenagers and all three of them were armed with sharp axe-like implements and bow and arrows.

As soon as they saw the situation in the room all three boys froze and their previous joy evaporated, their expressions fell and their eyes bulged like they weren't believing what they were seeing. The three boys all stared from Michael, to Pike, to Zak, and finally to the weapon he was holding with jaw-slack expressions as their mouths hung open in shock.

"Ravok!" Someone called out exuberantly clearly happy about the arrival of their leader. Pike committed the name to the face.

"What the hell…" Ravok, the leader of the newcomers muttered, his eyes were still bulging and uncomprehending.

Ravok soon realised what was so wrong with the picture and after his brain restarted he noticed there were adults among them. He instantly raised his bow and arrow and ordered his companions to do the same.

Michael hadn't moved one muscle since the interruption, she had likely been assessing the new threat and trying to keep one eye on all of the weapons and where exactly they were pointing. Chris could see her hand twitching and knew she was missing the phaser which was now closer to the newcomers than her; there was no way she would reach it without being shot down.

The tension in the room rose for the second time and Michael and Pike stiffened again when even _more_ weapons pointed their way. Michael had been making at least some headway with Zak, but now that was all ruined by the new arrival and the power shift. It didn't help that the newcomers looked to be even more trigger happy than the kids Michael and Pike had already been dealing with, their fear and confusion over seeing adults for the first time in 9 years was clearly taking over. They all looked like they were a hairs width away from releasing their arrows and embedding them in Michael and Pike.

Michael obviously came to the same conclusion and saw how close they were to setting off this powder keg. She held her hands up and took a few slow steps away from the boys; giving them the space they desperately needed. "We're not armed, and we're not here to hurt you."

Michael's soothing voice helped to hold the newcomer's hand but only just; he blinked a few times and after a few seconds seemed to process the scene better. The initial shock of the Michael and Pike's presence was finally wearing off.

Ravok turned to Zak angrily and growled. "Zak, what the hell is going on?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chris felt Zak go even more rigid behind him and the kid's fingers pressed into his shoulder more earnestly, betraying his nerves. "Izra was chased down here by this one." Zak's voice had lost its easy confidence and he shook Pike's shoulder to emphasise who he was talking about. "We were busy questioning him when the woman showed up."

By the time Zak finished his explanation he was practically stumbling over his own words; anxiety had reared its ugly head as soon as the newcomers had burst through the doors. It made Chris think that this newcomer, Ravok, was the true Alpha amongst these kids. He definitely looked older than Zak and the other kids in the room appeared to be looking to him for answers.

Ravok scrutinised Pike and Michael warily. "And did you find anything out?" He stalked closer to Michael keeping his bow and arrow aimed directly at her centre of mass.

Michael watched his approach cautiously but stayed completely still; they both knew that at that range Ravok couldn't miss. If she made any sudden moves then Pike had no doubt that arrow would be going straight through her chest.

Ravok cocked his head to the side, clocking Michael's frozen posture and continued. "Like where they've come from?" He started to circle Michael and his scrutiny landed on Pike as well. "Or how they're adults and yet alive?"

Pike and Michael kept their mouths pressed firmly shut, but their silence only ended up fuelling Ravok's paranoia. He stopped walking and glanced between the pair suspiciously. "What if they're reaper spies?"

Chris had never seen a thought process go so far off the deep end so quickly. Ravok had gone from guessing about their origins to accusing them of working with the reapers; whoever the hell they were.

"We're from out of town, and we didn't get caught in the invasion." Michael began quietly. She swallowed nervously and leaned backwards when the arrow swung back around to her. "We came here to help and we've never heard of the reapers."

Pike hoped the newcomers wouldn't notice that Michael had been purposefully vague about how they were full grown adults, and yet they hadn't contacted the virus that had been killing everyone on this planet. Sadly the suspicious looks from the newcomers told him that they weren't buying a word of it.

Ravok glared from the pair of them to Zak in disbelief. "Out of town? That's all you've got?"

Ravok shook his head angrily and moved closer to Michael shifting his aim up to her head. Michael eyed the weapon and tensed up completely, her hands were visibly clenched at her sides. Pike watched on in horror then suddenly Zak released his hold on him and stepped forward towards the tense standoff.

"Wait." He reached out for Ravok, surprising Michael, Pike and Ravok. "We need more time to find out what they know."

Ravok didn't look convinced and he kept the bow held up high. "They're dangerous Zak, they're adults so they've got to have the sickness." There was a slight quiver in his voice; Pike was reminded that these kids were terrified of this mystery illness more than anything else.

Bravely Zak took another step forwards practically into the firing line. Pike mused that Michael must have made more of a connection than he realised for Zak to stand up and defend her like this against his leader. "Their sickness is no danger to us, not until we reach the age of death ourselves. You know this."

Zak's gentle reminder worked to calm Ravok's genuine panic; he took a deep breath and appeared to remember the rules of the virus. Pike still didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle but he was beginning to understand why the kids were so afraid of he and Michael, because they were alive and defying everything the kids knew about what their own future held.

Ravok's focus suddenly shifted to the weapon Zak held limply. "What's that?"

Pike closed his eyes and sighed deeply. That was all they needed, a powerful phaser in the hands of an unstable kid.

Zak glanced down at the phaser and pointed at the wall which he had blasted through earlier. "It's a weapon, they both had these on them. It's pretty powerful Ravok."

Ravok's eyes gleamed excitably and he looked at the hands of the other kids, then the predictable question came. "Where's the other one?"

Zak pointed into the corner where Michael's phaser still lay discarded. Pike saw her stiffen in response and take an imperceptible step towards it; she was still the closest one to it but there was no way Michael could get to the phaser before the kids could fire their own weapons.

Ravok's gaze zeroed in on the weapon and he indicated for one of the kids to go pick it up. Michael stepped between the kid and the weapon causing a flurry of bodies to step forward aggressively. Michael ignored all the weapons pointing her way and addressed the one person who had stood up for them. "Zak we didn't agree on this."

Zak had the decency to look a little guilty, but he shrunk back from her gaze and stayed out of the line of fire. Clearly he was not going to stand against Ravok any longer. "Things have changed." He eventually replied.

Michael pressed her lips into a tight grimace and shook her head in frustration. She let her disappointment be known to Zak, and refused to budge out of the way of the kid who had been ordered to get the weapon. The kid glanced from the adult in his way over to Ravok; unsure as to how he should proceed against such an intimidating presence.

Ravok's patience fell apart completely; he snatched the phaser from Zak's limp hands and strolled over to Pike. Chris took a moment to take in the changing situation. He had been left on the sidelines out of the action and had practically been forgotten since Zak had left his side, but now he was back in the centre of the conflict again.

The Captain's posture stiffened and his muscles went rigid as he spotted the weapon and its path. Soon enough the phaser was pointing at his head whilst Ravok stood to the side so he had both adults in view. Chris almost lost his balance when the weapon was pressed against his head powerfully; he winced against the assault and caught Michael's terrified expression.

"Step out of the way." Ravok shouted, the threat against Chris' life clear.

Michael didn't look happy about it but she did give in to Ravok's demand and stepped out of the way. The kid quickly scurried into the corner and retrieved the phaser, his hands shaking when he picked up the powerful tool of destruction.

"Give it to Zak." Ravok ordered the kid.

Zak took hold of the weapon almost reluctantly but still made sure to adjust the power setting to match his previous stolen weapon. _Great now there were two deadly weapons in the fray._

Ravok looked a lot more comfortable now that they had control of the weapons but he still looked wary of Michael's free rein. "Tie them to the beams." Ravok pointed at Michael with the phaser. "Her first."

It made sense really, Chris was already trussed up. Michael was the unknown element here and to be honest they were smart to think she was dangerous, Pike had seen Michael destroy opponents in unarmed combat. Michael was positively scowling; at the weapons pointed her way, at Zak and Ravok, and at the support beams that they wanted to trap her against.

Ravok noticed her unease and made his point clear. "Resist and I'll kill your friend." He emphasised the threat rather unnecessarily by shaking Pike.

Michael actually rolled her eyes. It would have been comical if the situation weren't so serious. Still she followed the kids over to the beam and after glaring at them all harshly sat down with her back to the beam.

Pike watched the kids secure Michael's hands behind the beam and begin to tie long ropes around her chest. The kids doing the tying were tentative like Michael would turn around and bite their heads off. Perhaps she just might have if her Captain wasn't being used as leverage.

When they were done securing Michael, Ravok called for the kids to drag Pike over to the adjacent beam. They covered Michael and Chris with no less than 10 weapons whilst they finished their work, untying his hands then retying them behind the beam. Now that Pike was conscious he tensed his muscles up, not that it did that much good, but at least when they were done he could move his fingers more freely. If he and Michel wanted out of all these ropes they were going to have to work hard, or talk their way out. And that was assuming they didn't get killed first.

Ravok tied the final knot himself and he pulled the coil across the Captain's chest harshly. He examined the pair and made sure that both his prisoners were secured tightly and not going anywhere.

"You've got a lot to answer for. You best get thinking because if I don't like your answers then…" He pointed the phaser between them and mimed an explosion, not a hint of a smile on his face.

After the threat Ravok got to his feet and walked away from them; he joined the inner circle with Zak and a few of the older boys. Whilst the elders were chatting some of the younger kids had picked up the bow and arrows and were watching the prisoners like hawks; they kept their distance but were clearly alert and on standby.

Pike caught Michael's eyes and saw his own feelings mirrored in her face; _concern, worry, despair._ This situation had taken another turn for the worse and their options to get out of this mess were dwindling with each decision Ravok and Zak made. Chris had no idea what he was going to say to these kids. He was pretty sure they wouldn't believe anything he told them; even it was the truth.

* * *

Chris and Michael sat quietly and took stock of the situation. The kids in the inner circle were still discussing their fates, they were whispering loudly and waving their hands animatedly. Pike had moved his gaze to Michael and studied her carefully; he wanted to make sure she was okay. Michael looked at him and started to do the same. They both smiled when they realised they were worrying about the other.

Michael suddenly frowned and she stared at his forehead. Her scrutiny reminded him of his head wound and that he had dried blood caking the side of his face from it; he had forgotten about the injury amongst everything else but now he was aware of it again it stung unpleasantly. Chris waved off Michael's concern with a single look, they had far bigger problems at hand than a bang to the head.

The kids stopped paying as much attention to them when it became clear that Chris and Michael weren't going anywhere. Pike waited for a moment when no body was looking their way before he turned to Michael and whispered. "Does Discovery know the situation?"

Michael licked her lips and eyed the kids carefully. "They know I went looking for you. They couldn't get a lock on your communicator for beam out, just a general location."

Pike leaned his head back against the beam and sighed. "I noticed my communicator wasn't working down here, I should have known better than to push onwards. I'm sorry Michael, it's my fault we're in this position."

Michael threw him a withering look; it reminded Chris of the stern gaze his mother used to give him. "I thought we didn't do that Captain."

Pike raised his eyebrow in surprise. He tried to smile charmingly knowing that usually got him out of trouble. "Do what?"

Michael was having none of his attempts to disarm her and she smirked. "Wallow." She sobered and glanced round at all the young kids in the room. "You were trying to help them."

Pike knew better than to argue against Michael, she had proved time and time again how stubborn she could be. Michael was right about one thing; the young kids had made everything much more complicated. He turned his attention back to Zak and Ravok and snapped back to the matter at hand. "So we aren't beaming out from down here. How long until they send more teams down?"

Michael thought about it for a minute then replied grimly. "We agreed on an hour when I came looking for you. I would estimate we have another 35 minutes."

Right, 35 minutes until things got a hell of a lot more complicated. Pike needed to make sure the kids didn't get caught in the middle of this, the ones cowering behind him and Michael who were far too young to die and frankly were the equivalent of innocent bystanders.

Speaking of the kids he suddenly remembered something Michael had mentioned when she had been talking to Zak. "What did you find out? Earlier you mentioned something about an invasion?"

Michael dove into the story of her time on the planet and everything she had found out so far. She had had far better success with finding records within the city, and after piecing together the information she had worked out the moment when everything had started to go wrong. Off worlders had brought the virus with them when they had made first contact with the planet, and they had left after seeing that the civilisation was not quite as advanced as they had first thought.

They had left the planet behind without realising what they had left behind. Their interference inadvertently caused the apocalyptic future that Chris and Michael had seen. An unknown element that they had brought with them mutated a normal virus into a plague that destroyed the adult population of the planet; despite their scientists best efforts they couldn't come up with a cure in time and the civilisation fell into ruin.

The news definitely changed things. General order one did not apply in the same context as he had originally thought, seeing as this was already not the civilisation's natural progression. Another species' blunder had taken care of that. This should never have happened, it wasn't supposed to happen. All those lives lost and for what? Because a visiting species didn't do its homework properly? This was the reason why first contact was so vital and only carried out when both sides were ready, he couldn't believe that the species that had caused this had never checked back in again.

It was clear to Chris what had to be done now; they had to help these kids out of this ruin. This was no way to live, amongst a ruined civilisation that was still crumbling down. The kids never reached adulthood so the cycle was never broken, the population had dwindled to almost extinction and if they didn't cure these kids of the virus then soon there would be no-one left.

"This is not the natural progression for their civilisation." Michael finished, getting her point across. "General order one has already been broken, Starfleet could be in a unique position here to correct the tragedy or at least try to stem the damage."

"Agreed." Pike nodded then looked over at Zak and Ravok, who looked like they were about done with their conversation. "Do you think we have a chance of synthesising a cure based on what you saw?"

"I can't be certain but yes, I believe it is well within our capabilities."

Right that settled it, his main priority now was convincing the kids to let a medical team down here, and get these nooses from around these kid's necks. Zak and Ravok suddenly looked at them and began to walk over.

"Your orders Captain?" Michael asked quickly.

"We tell them the truth, and hopefully they'll believe it." Ravok and Zak reached them so they fell silent and waited for the inevitable questions.

"I hope you've got some better answers for us." Ravok threatened.

He knelt on the ground between Pike and Michael and stared at them both sternly. "Now, I'll ask you again. Where are you from?" Chris opened his mouth to answer until Ravok held up the phaser and pointed it at his head. "And if you say _out of town_ again this will be a very short conversation."

Pike gulped nervously he could see the threat was credible. "We're not from out of town." He admitted. "We're from the stars; another planet actually."

Chris waited for his words to land. These kids should theoretically have no problem with believing in aliens; their society was already well into short range space travel and the visitors who started the plague were aliens. Still his words did bring a bucket load of disbelief.

Ravok smiled then he grinned and then he laughed, which set off a chain reaction until most of the room was laughing. He studied Pike again and his smile fell off his face slowly when he noticed his captive's serious expressions; his head tilted to the side curiously. "Wait, wait. You're serious aren't you?"

Pike nodded. "Yes." Ravok was verging on the edge of disbelief and Pike noticed the phaser coming up so he spoke quickly. "We know your civilisation knew about space travel, about other planets and had dreams of travelling the stars. Our people had the same dream centuries ago."

Ravok seemed to be listening more intently but Pike could see he still had a long way to go. "How else do you explain our advanced equipment? The fact that we're full grown adults yet we haven't been struck down by the virus here, the fact that we had no idea what happened here without looking at records, no idea that it was just kids down here and we have no idea who these reapers are." Pike took a breath. "The simple truth is we're not from this planet, we never have been."

Things were silent for a while, and Ravok started to consider the information. He glanced from the phaser in his hands to the communicators and tricorders lying in the corner. Eventually he addressed Pike again. "Say I believe all of this, which I'm not saying I do, why are you here?"

"To answer that I'll need to tell you a bit more about who we are, and what we represent."

Ravok gestured with open arms. "We're all ears."

Pike did just that. He told the kids the story of Earth and how they as a civilisation reached for the stars. He told them of their explorer's spirit, of how they created their first space ship that broke the warp barrier and how they found out there were others out there in the universe. He told them of Starfleet, of the federation, of Discovery and their crew. He told them all his and Burnham's real names, introducing themselves as Captain and Commander of the federation of planets.

He told them all about the surveyors who saw their planet 10 years earlier, and that Starfleet kept track of planets that were reaching into space to hopefully one day make contact. He told them that when Discovery had seen the planet looked desolate, and when they found no life signs they were concerned. It didn't line up with what should have happened and what the planet had been heading towards.

Which was why teams came down to check out the situation for themselves. They tried to find what could cause 10 million people to just vanish, and because there had been no life signs from orbit they hadn't expected to find anyone let alone kids. They also hadn't expected to find out that a vicious virus that had caused the mass-extinction event was still at play.

Chris went on to explain that Starfleet doesn't usually meddle in the natural progression of a planet or its people, it was their number one rule. But this clearly wasn't the natural progression; because of a terrible accident their future and potential had been eradicated.

The kids all listened to his story intently. He studied their reactions as he spoke and noticed some of the kids were sold on the idea of space and had looks of awe and wonder sprawled across their faces; others looked completely suspicious and were taking the words in with a grain of salt like Ravok. Zak had a far away look in his eyes every time Chris mentioned anything to do with space or other worlds; it was the first time Pike had seen him look like a proper kid and not this hardened killer he had supposedly turned into.

When Chris finished his story the room fell silent and the kids took a moment to take the overload of information in. Eventually Ravok formulated a question. "So you're like the military in space?"

_Seriously, that's what he got from all that, like that's the first thing that came to mind?_

"We're explorers first." Chris reaffirmed adamantly.

Ravok turned the phaser over in his hand. "Yet you carry weapons."

Chris sighed wearily, Ravok had completely missed the point of what the federation stood for and what they did, he had focussed purely on the weapons. Maybe he had been fighting a war too long down here. "Not everyone in the universe is friendly." Chris eventually admitted, staring at the weapon in Ravok's hands pointedly. "We defend ourselves when necessary."

"So you mean you'd like to be explorers first, but really deep down you're soldiers like us. You have ranks, carry weapons, and are trained for combat." Ravok smiled at his own analysis; he enjoyed catching them out and making out that they were alike.

"We prepare for the worst."

"Hmmm." Ravok did not sound or look convinced but he let the matter drop. He glanced from the weapon to the communicator. "You said you were a Captain, does that make you the boss?"

Chris didn't know what Ravok was getting at here. "I'm in command."

Ravok's smile grew. "And your ship has more of these weapons?"

_Dammit. Why did things always go back to weapons and killing?_

"That's not the kind of help we're offering." Pike retorted and his friendly attitude vanished. "What we can do is get a medical team down here, and look into curing the virus that you all carry."

There were low murmurs after his declaration which told him he had got most of the room's attention, they were afraid to die underneath all the bravado and hardened attitudes. "I've had a chance to look at the records here and I think we have a good chance of making a cure for all of you." Michael added.

Ravok shook his head vehemently and got to his feet. "We don't need your make-believe help. We need powerful weapons to defend ourselves."

Pike wanted to knock these kids heads together until they understood what was really important here. "Don't you get it? You don't have to die when you reach adulthood anymore." He addressed the question to the entire room and tried to get his point across about the virus. Sadly not many looked convinced least of all Ravok. Perhaps fear was the way to break through their stubbornness. "How long have you got left?"

Ravok's expression fell and his face turned stony and cold. "Long enough to do what I need to do." He replied and began to effectively shut down the conversation on medical help. "Your medicine is a fantasy to us. What's real in the here and now is the threat of reapers."

Ravok collected the communicator from the pile of tech and walked back over to Pike. "We need more of these weapons and you're going to get them for us." He held out the communicator. "Tell me how we contact this _ship_ of yours."

Chris eyed the communicator and the aggravated person holding it, and he wondered how he was going to break the news gently. "Even if I ask for weapons they won't send any down."

Ravok smirked. "And why wouldn't they? You said you were in command."

"We have rules Ravok. Our ship will never send weapons down here, not under any circumstance." He made sure to look Ravok in the eye and held his gaze; he needed him to understand this was an immovable point.

Ravok picked up on the seriousness of the Captain's promise, and his smile disappeared as he started to think that just maybe he wouldn't get what he wanted. His confidence fell until he noticed the weapon still held in his hand. Chris watched the determination return and soon enough the phaser was held up against his head threateningly.

"I think they will if they know your situation." Ravok sneered.

Pike kept his outward expression calm despite the circumstance, his answer still hadn't changed and it never would. "They won't."

Ravok's expression morphed again. His nostrils flared and he thrust his chest out angrily. He entered Pike's personal space even more than before and bared his teeth as he let his fury take over. Ravok pressed the phaser against the Captain's forehead until his head could move no further, it was pinned between the beam and the weapon. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Pike's levity evaporated when he looked into Ravok's eyes and saw a hardened resolve there; he saw that the kid was preparing himself to do this and pull the trigger. He was preparing to murder and by the trembling of his arm, and the twitching of his finger, Chris could see he was struggling not to fire the weapon.

Suddenly a bird whistle echoed along the corridor. Pike's heart shot into his mouth at the sound and the resultant flinch from Ravok. The interruption had almost caused Ravok to pull the trigger purely out reflex, Chris was trying to come to terms with the fact that he had just narrowly escaped death and that he was continuing to do so with each successive second. He was sure Ravok was right on the edge of shooting him, it sure looked like he wanted to.

Soon a grimy faced teenager burst into the room. "Ravok! We've seen reapers in our quadrant!" He yelled breathlessly, the kids chest was heaving like he'd sprinted the whole way here.

Ravok kept the phaser firmly in place but frowned and glanced over his shoulder when he heard his name; he took one look at the newcomer and after the information began to sink in his frown and anger only seemed to grow exponentially. Ravok glanced down at the phaser in his hands and then at his two captives. Chris waited on tenter hooks but noticed that Ravok's finger was moving away from the trigger, it looked like his rage was being moved from them to his real enemy: the reapers.

Ravok suddenly broke out in a feral grin and he removed the weapon from the Captain's head; he glanced around at the crowd and looked almost giddy with excitement. "Well I suppose we can put these to good use."

Chris had only just breathed a sigh of relief for surviving the tense moment, but now Ravok was talking about killing what were presumably other kids with _his_ weapon. He couldn't let this happen, phasers were fatal and by the looks of the primitive weapons this planet had access to were worlds ahead of anything anyone else would have. Ravok could start a massacre. "No, wait!" He called out desperately, his mind still spinning.

Without missing a beat Ravok hefted his phaser and slammed it into the Captain's head. "Shut-up."

Pike grunted with the blow and his head thudded back against the beam doubling the assault and misery from the initial strike. His vision flashed white with each contact and he honestly thought for a moment he was going to pass out; grey spots appeared at the edge of his vision and the thudding drums started in earnest within his mind. He concentrated on breathing in and out until the searing pain subsided and the drums reduced to a less agonising level, eventually he felt like he could at least think again so he blearily opened his eyes.

The first person he saw was Michael who was shooting him a concerned glance, her eyebrows knitted together and her head tilted as she sought to make strong eye contact. Chris waved off her concern as he did earlier and turned his attention to the ongoing train-wreck. Ravok had completely ignored his outburst and was already busy gathering together a group of boys who were listening in on the scout's info.

"Zak give Soker your weapon." Ravok ordered, Zak didn't look too happy to be giving up the phaser but relented easily enough.

"Soker, Azak, Xeon. With me." Ravok demanded with haste; clearly he was eager to get out and try out the new weapons.

When they were all suited up with weapons Ravok led the four boys out out of the underground, turning back over his shoulder to give one final order. He pointed at Pike and Burnham. "Don't let them out of your sight."

Pike and Michael felt self conscious as all the boys stared at them; the few with weapons tensed automatically but stayed well back. Chris was interested in one kid only, Zak. He was second in command and had to be the one he and Michael worked on; they'd already been building a rapport. He was someone that could be persuaded to let them help, Ravok was not.

The problem was after seeing Zak's submissive behaviour earlier it was clear he wouldn't stand against the alpha easily, which may prove to be quite a problem. They had thought dealing with Zak was difficult but Ravok? This was turning out to be an uphill battle. And now there was even more violence; more killing. Their arrival here had only served to give these kids more weapons; it really couldn't gave gone much worse.


	4. Chapter 4

After Ravok and the other kids disappeared the tension in the room remained at an all time high; news of reapers nearby had really put the fear of god into these kids, that and the appearance of Michael and Chris. All of the kids who had been ordered to watch them like hawks had done exactly that, they continued to stare at their captives even though it was clear they weren't going anywhere and they hadn't been making trouble.

Chris began to notice Michael's head moving and he saw she was trying to get his attention. He glanced her way and saw that she was indicating to a spot over his left shoulder. Chris looked in the direction she was pointing and he noticed that a little boy, who couldn't have been older than 10 years old, was shuffling closer to him. When he noticed Chris had seen him he froze just like a deer caught in the headlights.

Pike plastered on an easy smile, ignoring the pain the action caused and just about held off the wince; he didn't want to scare the kid off. "Hi there."

The boy was completely rigid and his eyes were bulging and blinking rapidly, he looked absolutely petrified. "Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you." Chris wiggled his body against the ropes and chuckled hoping humour would help snap the kid out of his state. "I can't move a muscle."

It worked like a charm. One second the kid looked like he was about to bolt for the door but the next he was grinning and he actually laughed at the joke; the boy shuffled forwards until he was sat side by side with the Captain. It was funny, a minute ago the kid had been terrified of him but now after realising that he couldn't even move he supposed the boy realised there wasn't anything to be frightened of.

The boy cocked his head to side, inquisitive and suddenly bold. "What's your name?"

"Chris, how about you?"

The kid looked hesitant for a beat but then his nervousness evaporated as his curiosity for the new visitors got the better of him. "Rory."

Chris smiled warmly. "Hi Rory."

Rory leaned forward and indicated to the sky with his hands. "Is it true you fly up in the stars?"

He looked awe-struck, his eyes wide with wonder and his face open and dazed like he was dreaming or imagining something incredible in his mind. Chris supposed it was the most natural thing in the world to be dreaming of something like that after what they'd all been through down here; the invasion, the death, their entire lives destroyed. Amongst all that pain it was only natural to dream of a better life, and of wonders that took them away from this existence.

"It is." The Captain nodded, a child-like smile in place on his own face; it turned out the kid's excitement was infectious. "Would you like to hear about space?"

The kid's eyes widened noticeably and he scooted closer. "Could you tell me?"

"Sure." Pike thought about the best place to start, home came to mind first. "I'm from a planet called Earth way up there." He indicated to the ceiling with his head. "And Michael here grew up on a planet called Vulcan. They're both days away from this world."

Rory already looked enchanted. "What's it like on Earth?"

Just thinking of Mojave now and home took Chris back to a place of warmth and safety, even though he was on a world lightyears away he could picture the beauty of it all, he could feel the heat of the sun on his face and feel the wind in his hair. "It's _big,_ about 10 times the size of your planet." Rory's eyes widened and Chris felt himself grinning as he fell into the magic of storytelling.

"Earth is made up of water and hundreds of islands. We have things like deserts which are huge areas of just sand; they're hot, dry and sometimes have no life at all. On the opposite end there's oceans which make up most of the water across the globe. There's huge forests where it can rain all day and all night, there's icy mountains that reach up so high they disappear into the clouds." He purposefully created pauses and made it sound as dramatic as he could, it was working. Rory was lapping up each and every word, his imagination running wild no doubt.

"I grew up in a little town called Mojave. We were surrounded on all sides by desert and mountains, the sun shined all day long and me and my brothers would ride out into the wilderness…"

"Ride what?" Rory interrupted.

Chris halted and realised he had gotten caught up in the memories of simpler times, he'd forgotten that Rory wouldn't know many words he used. "Horses, they're these animals with four legs and-"

"What are you talking about?" Zak interrupted in a raised voice. His sudden appearance sadly frightened Rory and caused him to scamper back to the other kids

Pike sighed inwardly. He hated seeing these kids frightened, especially the younger ones. "We were just talking about my home planet, that's all."

Zak didn't look too happy about Chris' answer but he eased up a little and warned Rory. "You shouldn't be talking to them, Ravok says they're liars."

"Is that what you think?" Michael interrupted.

"It doesn't matter what I think, Ravok's in charge."

"We're just trying to help." Pike added, pushing Zak's attention away from Ravok.

"What if we don't want your help?" Zak snapped back.

And now he was being defensive and falling back onto who he was; a child. Chris responded to the outburst by treating Zak like an adult, just like they'd all asked for, he didn't pull any punches and laid the truth on thick.

"We don't force people. If all of you, and I mean _all_ of you are happy with living like this knowing the day you reach adulthood you will disappear. Then we'll leave you to it, and we'll fly away." One glance around the room was enough to see that the kids weren't responding to that idea well at all. "But if you don't want that, then you don't have to live this way. You don't have to shoulder this burden alone anymore. Let us help."

Sadly Zak wasn't completely convinced. Chris thought he had been winning his favour but somewhere along the way Chris had lost Zak; the invisible hold from Ravok had pushed him away from common sense. Zak looked like he was about done with conversation and about to walk away. Chris realised he was losing him; he had to press harder before Ravok returned. "Do you want this life for them? A life of suffering then death."

"We're doing just fine." Zak snapped back angrily. He didn't convince anyone.

"Your people have been dying out for 9 years. If this continues in another 10 years there will be nothing left."

Zak looked like he was in a lot of pain, the colour had drained from his face completely and he was swallowing hard. Zak's mind was battling between what he was responsible for, and what Ravok would do, and what he wanted for himself. Clearly not all the answers were matching up, hence the conflict. "What if you're wrong, what if I make the wrong decision and they suffer for it."

Pike latched onto Zak's hesitance. He just needed to push harder and make Zak see this was the only viable option for the kids, it was the only one that had any chance of ending well for them.

"If there's a chance, just a small chance that we're telling the truth. That you can all live better lives away from death and just surviving. You've got to reach out and grab that chance. For their sake if not your own. One things for sure, if you carry on the way you are none of you will survive. You know that."

Chris wasn't sure what would follow his passionate plea, he had expected a flat out rebuttal but what he got instead was silence. Pike watched a handful of emotions flit across Zak's face he could see by them alone that the kid was close to accepting help, but would it be enough? Going against someone who was in charge, someone who you both respected and feared was no easy feat. At the moment Zak looked like he as on the brink and could fall either way any minute.

Out of nowhere some of the kids began to pipe up, they sounded frantic, desperate and so very scared.

"Zak, I don't want to die."

"Me neither!"

"Cant we just go with them, to Earth?"

"It couldn't get much worse than this."

"Please Zak."

"Stop." Zak held a hand up to all the kids and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Chris could see that the pressure was becoming too much for him, their fear and pain were all piling up on his shoulders. Zak groaned loudly and opened his eyes when he had made his decision. "Okay."

Chris could hardly believe his ears. "Okay?"

"If there's a chance at a better life, we want it." Zak clarified.

Pike glanced round at the room, there was a spark of hope there that had been missing before. "You're making the right choice for all of you."

"What do we do?" Zak asked, putting his trust in Chris' hands.

Pike fell back into Captain mode without skipping a beat, the first priority was the ship needed to know what was happening here. "Let us contact our ship, we can have medical teams come down and start working on curing the virus."

Zak nodded then turned to the kids hovering nearby. "Untie them."

Kids appeared behind Chris and he felt small hands clutch at the knots on his wrists, in no time at all they fell away and went to work at the ropes around his chest. Chris brought his hands around front and winced as the blood suddenly flowed back into his fingers; he looked at his wrists and frowned at how red and raw they looked. They would definitely be irritating and sore for some time.

He reached down and untied his own legs, thanking Rory for helping when he could see his fingers were a little unwieldy and numb from not being used. Pike glanced over at Michael and saw she was free from her restraints too, and working some feeling back into her limbs.

"Can we stand?" Michael asked Zak, not wanting to cause a panic by being too presumptive. The kids still had weapons in their hands and the situation could flip back on itself any second.

Zak glanced at the two of them suspiciously but he nodded eventually and people gave them space. Michael jumped to her feet and offered a hand down to her Captain. Just watching Michael get up that quickly sent Pike's head spinning; he had a head wound and would not be moving quickly if had any say in it.

He smiled gratefully and took Michael's hand, he ended up taking up her offer of support and leaned on her when his head began to swim unpleasantly upon being righted. Ultimately Chris managed to shake away the haze and he turned his attention back to the boys, specifically Zak who was holding a communicator in his hands.

He held it out to Chris. "Contact your ship."

Pike took the communicator and took a deep breath, now for the bit they didn't tell Zak about. "We'll have to go to the surface, the equipment doesn't work this far down."

Suspicion landed on Zak's face immediately and he looked outwardly aggressive again. Chris did the only thing he thought would help and tried to use the device showing no response on any channel. Zak frowned heavily and glanced from the device to Pike then Michael warily. Eventually he pointed at Michael. "She can go to the surface."

Michael stepped forward, clocking the weapons coming up ready for any aggressive actions on their part. "That wasn't what we discussed." She hissed.

Zak rounded on her angrily. "Neither was letting you two wander to the surface."

_Well this could have gone better._

Zak took a moment to calm himself. "Look I want to believe you I do, but I'm responsible for a lot of lives here. I can't afford to trust you implicitly."

Pike understood where Zak was coming from completely, he would even go so far as to say he would do the same thing in his shoes. Being responsible for so many lives brought with it a great burden and obligation. Zak was taking the lives under him seriously and what was a little caution after all this anyway?

"He stays." Zak ordered with finality.

Michael didn't look happy so Pike reassured her. "Its alright Michael, Zak's right and we both know it."

She glanced at him and he could see the concerns about to tumble from her lips. Michael didn't like leaving him here unarmed amongst so many weapons, amongst people which had already knocked him about. Chris wan't going to let their latest progress with Zak be for nothing though, he could handle a bit more time alone with Zak and the kids.

"I'll be fine." He reassured her, before turning to Zak. "Right Zak?"

Zak nodded. "As long as you've been truthful then he won't be harmed."

Pike could have done without the condition but it hardly mattered, they had Zak's word. They had to take him at it like he had taken them at theirs. Michael finally took the communicator and started walking towards the door, frowning but accepting the situation as it was. Before she left she glanced back and made him a promise. "I'll be back in 10 minutes."

Pike nodded then heard her actually run along the corridor, her footsteps getting quieter the further away she got. Chris glanced round at the kids and suddenly felt very alone. It was strange the affect of having a crew member beside you had when you were behind enemy lines; the automatic emotional support it provided.

Zak glanced at him warily. "Would you mind sitting down? Just until Michael gets back."

Chris wasn't stupid he could see he intimidated these kids, he had done ever since arriving here which was why they'd tied him up. He supposed it was only natural what with them not seeing adults for so long; he was tall well built and far stronger than most of the kids. Which they were all probably aware of.

He wasn't going to split hairs and ruin their trust by refusing such a simple request, the last thing he wanted to do was make these kids more scared than they had to be. God knew they'd been through enough.

"Sure." He smiled easily and returned to the beam he had been tied to, sitting with his back to it casually, going for a non-threatening and relaxed look even though inside he was anything but.

The look seemed to do the trick because Zak exhaled and a few of the kids loosened up. Now all Chris had to do was wait for Burnham to come back and this would all be over. Well rather it would be beginning but it would be a new beginning; something hopeful, a new future for these kids.

* * *

Once Michael was above ground level she only had to walk a few hundred metres away from the building to get a clear and unshakable signal. She took cover in a nearby building, one where she could keep an eye on the entrance to the underground and have a good view of the street.

She began explaining the situation to Discovery, and tried to keep it as succinct as possible knowing that the Captain was currently alone and without backup. Saru was already busy organising further away teams and getting in contact with those already on the ground; medical help was being prioritised.

Michael was starting to feel relief flood her system which was when she became complacent. Because she wasn't paying attention she didn't notice the return of Ravok until it was almost too late. It wasn't until she heard shouting and glanced over into the street that she realised what was happening. Michael's heart fell as she recognised Ravok and two other kids racing towards the underground entrance, phasers in hand and looking worse for wear.

One of the kids was completely covered in blood and was clutching his arm painfully. Michael gasped when she saw an arrow sticking out of him, and hadn't Ravok taken three kids with him?

Michael realised there were voices coming from her communicator, she must have phased out.

"Michael!"

She lifted the communicator up to her lips. "I've got to go Saru, we may have a problem here."

Michael followed Ravok's movements and swore inwardly when he disappeared through the door leading to the Captain. He would not take it well when he saw his prisoners had been let go.

"Michael what's going on?"

"Captain Pike's in trouble, we need security and medical teams here now." Michael ordered urgently then snapped the communicator shut.

Michael took off at a run towards the building, hoping the security team were just behind her. Hoping for the Captain's sake.

* * *

"What's a fish?"

Pike stopped mid sentence, his hands waved in the air animatedly. He glanced at Rory and grinned. "Sorry Rory, I forget you don't know what animals there are on Earth."

Rory was just one of the kids which had formed a loose ring around the Captain; they had wanted to know more about the universe and hadn't stopped asking endless questions about Earth ever since Michael had left.

Chris was more than happy to tell any stories he could. He focussed on the weird and wonderful which set the kids wild, filled their eyes with wonder and had them laughing and smiling. This was what they should be like, this was what life should be like for them. Chris was happy he was seeing a glimpse into what people they could be, when they had hope in their lives.

"We have these things called oceans which are full of thousands of different life forms, like fish, turtles, sharks, whales, _dolphins._" He teased out the list with a twinkle in his eye, loving the way the kid's eyes widened with each new word.

"What's a dolphin?" Rory questioned.

Chris smiled as a memory came to mind, one he was sure would make the kids laugh. "Well now there's a story, this one time I was out on a boat when-"

"Zak! Zak!" A panicked voice echoed along the corridor.

Pike stopped mid-sentence and glanced at the corridor noticing the sudden fear that had entered the room; the cold chill that had seeped in, and the way all the happiness and warmth vanished in an instant. Then the worst thing happened, Ravok bounded through the door followed by two other kids, and great they still had two phasers between them. One of the kids had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder and he was holding the injured limb miserably, the other kid was covered in blood. All of them looked haunted, scared and frightened.

The circle that had formed around Pike scrambled as soon as they caught sight of their leader, and picked up on the unfriendly atmosphere in the room. Chris got to his feet quickly, already watching the weapons warily and noticing they were still set to a lethal setting.

Ravok stormed in and took a few moments to realise what was missing. He glanced from Chris to the beams to where Michael had been, his eyes widened comically and then it transformed to anger.

"What the hell?!" He yelled to no-one in particular.

Pike suddenly remembered that Ravok had taken three kids out with him, what the hell had happened to the other one? Zak forgot his fear for a second and walked up to Ravok, glancing at the two kids. "Where's Xeon?"

Ravok spared him no more than a sideways glance. His anger and rage took over which changed his priorities. "He's dead."

Ravok finally took a step towards Chris and held the phaser up threateningly. "Why isn't he tied up and where the hell is the other one?" He growled out into the ether.

Pike held still, eyeing the phaser warily and well aware it was pointing at his head. No one answered Ravok's question, they were still reeling from the news of the death of one of their own. That boy had been just a teenager, at the prime of his life. It hurt Chris to think that it had been cruelly snuffed out when it needn't have been, it made his mission here all the more crucial. He couldn't let Rory and all these other kids suffer the same fate.

"Well?" Ravok yelled again, glancing round at all the scared faces.

Zak bravely put himself between Pike and Ravok. "We let her go to contact their ship. They can help us Ravok."

Ravok hefted the phaser and slammed it into Zak's head harshly. "Idiot! I told you to watch them." He hissed as Zak cried out and crashed into the ground.

Instinctively Pike took a step forward, he wanted to reach out and catch Zak even though he was too far away. His protective streak threatened to take over, it had been set off by the violent treatment and because Zak was hurting because of him; because he had stood in the way of a bullet.

"That's not necessary." Chris spat maybe a little too harshly, but he hated seeing gratuitous violence.

Ravok took the movement forward as a threat. He brought up the phaser and pointed it at the Captain's chest, panicked eyes flicking from Zak to Pike. "Stay back!" He yelled quickly. Chris noted that Ravok had all the signs of someone out of their depth, like the situation was getting out of control for him.

Pike reeled backwards after recognising the threat and how close Ravok was to snapping. "Okay, okay." He placated holding his hands up.

Chris' surrender wasn't cutting it this time. Ravok looked just as threatened by him as when he'd first walked in. He was glancing all around the room with wide eyes like he was petrified that something was going to jump out at him. He clearly didn't feel in control and was starting to lose it.

"On your knees. Hands in the air." Ravok eventually ordered albeit shakily.

Pike didn't miss the fact that Ravok's hands were trembling, and his finger was getting closer to the trigger without being provoked. If doing what Ravok wanted calmed him down then he would do it, besides there were a dozen kids behind him who could get hit by a stray blast.

Chris slowly dropped to his knees and held his hands in the air as instructed. "No problem, I'm not a threat to you."

Ravok ignored him. "Azak cover him."

Pike noticed that Azak had the other phaser, he was the kid who had come back without an arrow in his arm. Azak came to a stop to the side of Pike and aimed the phaser squarely at the Captain's mid-section. He wasn't going anywhere unless he wanted to be shot.

Chris searched for the injured kid and saw he had already collapsed to the floor near the door. Zak followed his gaze and dragged himself over to the kid's side, muttering about water to the others nearby. Ravok ignored this too, he only had eyes for Pike.

"What's your friend telling your ship?" Ravok questioned urgently.

"She's letting them know the situation here, and she's calling for medical help."

Ravok swore then began pacing from side to side which made everyone nervous. "We told you we didn't want medical help!" He yelled.

Pike titled his head and shrugged. "The rest of your people decided differently."

Ravok's expression turned fierce and he glared at all the other kids in the room. Pike thought it best to get his attention back onto him, even if that was Ravok's anger. Chris was also aware that Michael could be back any minute; he was pretty sure he could already hear distant footsteps.

"Look you wanted to be treated like an adult, so I'm gonna lay out your options here. You can accept that help is coming and work with us; you could go to Earth or another planet to join a colony, you could even become part of a family." Pike could definitely hear footsteps now and they were almost upon them, Ravok hadn't noticed yet.

"You could accept medical help and stay here, colonists could even come here and join you and help rebuild your planet." The other kids had all heard the footsteps and were staring at the door with a mixture of hope, worry and concern. "Or you can carry on as you are and die. We'll leave you to it." Pike finished the final option just as Michael, medics and a security team arrived at the door.

Ravok finally noticed the presence and panicked, he glanced over his shoulder to the newcomers and his eyes grew as wide as saucers. Pike got to his feet quickly and tried to get to Ravok before he did something stupid like turn the gun on the Starfleet personnel. Ravok caught the movement and looked back at Pike; he brought up the phaser and pressing it harshly against his chest.

"Stop!" Ravok ordered hastily, he was panicking and completely out of control.

Chris froze instantly and glanced down at the phaser poised to steal his life. After everything he had tried over the past hour it had all circled back to this, a kid threatening to kill him because he was scared of the unknown.

* * *

**A/N - We're getting towards the end of this story now, there's just one more chapter to go which should be within a week :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chris assessed the new situation with contempt. Ravok was holding the phaser firmly against his chest in an iron-clad grip, so for the umpteenth time that day Chris was in a position he would rather not be in. To make matters worse, Pike couldn't say for certain if he could disarm Ravok without getting anyone in the room hurt; not in the jumpy state he was in. Chris held his hands up and took a few steps backwards, realising that Ravok was moving them back to get more space between them and Starfleet.

"Alright just stay calm Ravok."

"Captain?" Michael called out from the doorway as she took in the scene; the terrified kids huddling in the corner, the blood covering the floor and the kid who had been impaled with an arrow.

Chris met her worried gaze and motioned with his hand to hold back; he was still hoping for a peaceful solution and he was pretty confident that he could get Ravok to end this without further bloodshed. "It's okay Michael, just give us a minute."

Michael's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared; Chris could see she wasn't exactly happy with his choice but he was the one with the information necessary to make it. Eventually she nodded and held the Starfleet personnel back at the doorway; she placed her complete trust in him.

With Starfleet holding back, Chris turned his attention back to Ravok who was still trembling badly. The kid was glancing round the room like a trapped rat; cornered and caged. Chris tried to get his attention without startling him too badly. "This isn't going to go away anymore Ravok, we aren't just going to leave people here who want our help."

Ravok swallowed. "I told you how you could help, our fight is with much more than just illness here."

"Starfleet won't help you fight Ravok, but we can help forge peace. You don't have to stay on this planet anymore, you can all have a new life."

Chris saw a flicker of something and realised he was cracking through Ravok's armour. Deep down underneath the years of oppression the leader must have wished for something like this happening, he obviously just hadn't ever thought it was possible. He hadn't let himself believe in such fantasies; they would have all been dead long ago if he had.

Pike pressed on his advantage. "You need to do what's best for everyone here."

Ravok shot up at that and pressed the phaser back into the Captain's chest raising the tension up a few notches. "Everything I have ever done has been for others, I've had to be their leader." The angry words faded pretty quickly and by the end he just sounded tired and weary. His gun arm even sagged a little.

"I understand." The truth was he really did understand some of what Ravok had been struggling with, being a leader brought responsibilities and pressure, and even the best could crumble beneath it. "It doesn't have to be that way anymore." He coaxed watching another crack appear, Ravok wanted to believe it; he wanted to give in.

"What if I get it wrong?" The voice sounded so small and child-like that Pike was taken aback. Here was the main obstacle in Ravok's path - the fear of failure. This was something Chris understood and a demon he had faced over and over again in his own career.

"What if doing nothing is the wrong choice?" Pike countered, realising that wasn't exactly what Ravok wanted to hear but knowing it was exactly what he needed to hear. Pike pointed at the Starfleet team waiting in the wings. "Everything I've told you is the truth, these are medics who are here to help. Trust us."

Ravok glanced over his shoulder but still looked a little skeptical. Pike could see he needed a few moments to process everything before he accepted trusting someone else, he clearly hadn't needed to for so long.

All of a sudden Zak got to his feet and he carried the kid with the arrow in his arm with him. "Ravok, I know you're trying to do what's best for us but this is what we want. This is what we need." Zak glanced round the room at all the children. "Anyone who wants to leave and have a new life, come with me."

Pike swelled with pride. He knew Zak had it in him; to stand up and do what was right. The kid was a natural born leader; compassionate, and caring. Without waiting for permission Zak started dragging the injured boy over to Michael and the medical team who took hold of him and got to work on the arrow wound.

Slowly but surely each kid in the room got to their feet, even the young ones behind Pike got up and began walking towards the doorway, although none of them looked Ravok in the eye as they passed. Chris waited patiently as the hall emptied and all of the kids were welcomed into the waiting arms of medical teams.

Some kids took longer than others to decide to go for the new life Starfleet were offering, specifically the older boys carrying weapons who were probably Ravok's Lieutenant's. Eventually even they made their decision and made for the exit. The ones who had weapons lowered them to the floor and Pike saw Michael pick up the dropped phaser; she switched it off and made it safe.

_Just the one to deal with now._

Ravok watched all the kids leave one by one; he looked especially betrayed when Azak abandoned the phaser and walked out. "All I've ever done was for you!" He yelled desperately after them.

Zak was still waiting in the doorway; he didn't want to leave until the last of the kids who wanted to leave were out of the room. He looked too Ravok sympathetically. "I know Ravok and we're grateful to you for keeping all of us alive, but we don't have to live this way anymore."

After one final goodbye Zak walked out of the door and disappeared amongst the group of Starfleet medics, which left Pike and Ravok completely alone in the room. Ravok's lip began to quiver and his muscles were trembling again; he looked like he was struggling with the weight of everything crashing down around him.

Chris felt sorry for the kid. He knew that what Ravok had done all these years was to look after these kids and under impossible circumstances no less; the weight of leadership had almost flattened him. Whilst Ravok's current methods and stubbornness were much to be desired, Chris had no doubt that without him these kids wouldn't have survived until now.

"You don't have to shoulder this burden alone anymore." Pike reasoned kindly and slowly lifted his hands up to the phaser, which was still limply held against his chest.

Ravok clocked the movement but didn't make a move to stop it, which was a good sign. Pike continued and took hold of the phaser gently. "Let us help." He whispered.

Ravok glanced at him and Chris could see tears beginning to form in his eyes; he was at the end of his tether, emotionally wrecked and in need of some support. Ravok had been handling so much for so long. Chris gently tugged the weapon away from Ravok's loose fingers, angling it to the side as he did.

The action opened the floodgates. Ravok glanced at the weapon and then let go of everything. "Okay." He whispered.

Ravok sounded so much like a child, it was foreign and strange for Chris to hear after seeing how aggressive and hardened Ravok had become. Now in front of him all he could see was the lost boy who had lived through an awful tragedy and worked so hard since to pick up the pieces.

Pike caught the weapon easily when Ravok released his hold, Chris pulled it away from the boy's reach and held it up high in one hand. Ravok suddenly leapt at him, burying his face in Pike's shoulder and cried his eyes out; his hands came up to wrap around the Captain with everything he had.

Chris almost lost his balance, Ravok wasn't a young kid anymore despite the emotional breakdown; he was almost a grown man. Chris managed to retain his footing and brought his free arm round to comfort the sobbing boy; he rubbed comforting circles into his back and whispered soothing words into his ear.

Pike caught Michael's gaze and saw she was already stepping forward quietly, phaser at the ready. She reached his side and took Ravok's phaser away turning it off and getting the last deadly weapon out of unsafe hands.

With both hands free Pike engulfed Ravok fully and held him as he trembled and let out 9 years worth of pent up emotion, Chris couldn't even imagine the pressure he had held on his shoulders all these years. The Captain did the only thing he knew how and held the boy as he rode out the grief, and whispered the same promise over and over again hoping it would get through Ravok's wall of anguish.

"You're going to be okay."

* * *

Captain Pike wandered into the conference room and took in the scene before him. Discovery was currently playing host to every survivor found on the planet that had accepted aid. The conference room was currently housing Ravok and Zak's people and the kids who had been nicknamed 'the reapers'. Chris hadn't been that surprised to learn that the so-called enemy were a group of kids that were very similar to Zak's group; they were just trying to survive in the new world.

Chris kept to the back of the conference room and took the time to study the differences between the two sides of the room. The room was clearly divided by the Reapers and Zak's people, even now after everything, a tense atmosphere still remained. The two sides had been enemies for so long it was natural that the sudden changes were taking time to sink in.

The Discovery crew had worked on trying to get the kids to get along together now they were embracing their new futures. That didn't just evaporate the distrust and the history though. Both sides kept shooting glances at the other, it looked like they were confused that underneath everything and away from the survival war of the planet, they weren't that different at all.

Zak and Ravok had been wary of meeting the reapers face to face at first but after a little persuasion they were up for beginning negotiations. It was a strange case for Pike and the diplomats of the crew, they weren't negotiating peace between two different species but instead brining together kids who should have been on the same side all along.

The younger kids obviously weren't interested in diplomacy or negotiations. Chris noticed Rory amongst the group of younger kids and he was happy to see that they were busy doing _normal_ kid things; like colouring, playing video games and watching films. As soon as the Discovery crew showed the kids footage of other planets they hadn't torn their eyes away from the screens. It was a great feeling seeing such open wonder on their faces after everything they'd lived through and had to deal with.

Speaking of diplomacy, Pike's eyes wandered to the middle-most table which housed Ravok, Zak and the two leaders representing the reapers, as well as Starfleet personnel who were acting as mediators. When Chris had first seen Ravok and Zak on board he hadn't recognised them, not now that they were clothed and cleaned up properly.

2 days had passed since the showdown on the planet, and since Michael and Chris had found the first group of survivors. As promised medical teams had gotten to work down on the planet and after taking the kid's blood-work had started to synthesise a cure; as Burnham had expected it was well within their capabilities and within a day the virus was neutralised within the kids they had found.

Further away teams were dispatched across the planet's surface and specifically in the cities and what would have been the well populated areas. Their one mission was to track down and find any other survivors of the original alien contact; they were modifying their searches to include the multitude of underground tunnels that networked under the entire surface of the planet. Each and every child that was found was given a choice to either remain and stay as they were or accept aid from Starfleet, just like Ravok's clan had.

It had been a busy couple of days and had required everyone with diplomatic or negotiation experience to step up and perform at the top of their game; it wasn't a trivial task to bring these warring tribes together after a decade of fear and conflict. Thankfully for everyone involved; peace started to look more possible and the discussions were beginning to work. Clans who had been bitter enemies for years were now able to sit together without violence and all of the kids were starting to see that they were in fact in the same boat; and that they always had been. With their new future ahead of them it was deemed unnecessary to hold onto old grudges, Chris was glad that the kids were seeing and accepting that fact.

To his delight everyone they had come across had chosen to leave the apocalyptic planet behind and had jumped at the chance to come aboard Discovery. They had all wanted to put as much distance between themselves and their old planet as they could, which wasn't exactly surprising with all the bad memories that existed there. They all wanted a new and fresh start at life.

Ships were already en route to help with the rescue efforts, the kids would be transferred to their care and from there would be taken onwards to nearby colony worlds, star-bases and perhaps even Earth. The important thing was they were being taken to foster families and people who could take care of them properly.

As happy endings went this wasn't half bad; the kids were as healthy as could be expected and taking to their new lives with great enthusiasm. A smile creeped its way onto the Captain's face as he watched the crew play with the kids around the room, as they showed them endless new things like technology, tv shows and movies and just the usual bog standard games that every child should grow up knowing.

The kids were enamoured by every little thing and they were beginning to run the crew a little ragged, even though every Starfleet officer had to keep fit, running aimlessly after children and trying to keep them all under watch was a job that was pushing people's stamina and fitness to the limit. The children jumped into every new experience with wide-eyes and open minds, they especially loved the replicators and had used them ever since to get all the food they could get their hands on. Chris shook his head and chuckled as he spotted a few kids sneaking over to replicate what looked to be ice-cream; seriously didn't people know that sugar sent kids crazy?

His eyes drifted around at the various activities in the conference room. There was a large game of hide and seek being played on one side; holo tennis on the other, groups of kids were content simply staring out at the stars from the windows and a whole other load of children still hadn't surfaced from the data pads they'd been given to read.

They were finally getting the chance to simply be children again, Chris was well aware that for some this was the first time ever. It was the first time they didn't have to worry about life and death; and where they would find their next meal. They could simply enjoy themselves and learn that there could be more to life than just simple survival; so much more.

As his gaze moved from each child's beaming face he found himself feeling melancholy all of a sudden; he couldn't help but think of how many lives had been lost over the last decade, lives which needn't have been…

Chris snapped his mind away from the dark demons of regret and what ifs. He knew they couldn't change the past and it was a waste of time and resources to do so. His job was to focus on the here and now just like these kids were; giving into the moment and enjoying it for what it was and forgetting for good the things that could not be changed.

His attention was suddenly on the centre of the room as the leader of the reapers and Ravok shook hands, causing a great applause to break out from both sides of the room. Chris smiled happily at the exuberant scene; he actually felt the tension across the space drop several notches as the two long-warring enemies put old squabbles aside. Whilst everyone was clapping and celebrating Chris remained towards the back of the room, leaning against the wall out of most people's vision. That didn't stop Michael from seeing him though. She slipped in beside him and greeted her Captain with a happy nod.

"Would you look at that?" Michael smiled warmly as the room cheered.

Chris glanced sideways at Michael and found her proud elation contagious; he beamed at the centre table. "I knew they had it in them."

"They're good kids." Michael agreed. "It's a shame they didn't have an easier start in life."

"They can look to the future now; have lives and be happy." He couldn't help but grin like an idiot thinking about it. Looking around at all the kids and what they were already falling in love with he knew he was looking at future artists, engineers, philosophers, explorers… The possibilities were endless.

Michael and Chris stayed on the edges of the celebration, content to watch the end of the peace talks and what came after. Children from different sides started to break through their old rivalries and it wasn't long before they were playing together without hesitation or fear. They were finally talking and not fighting; laughing with one another and letting the stress of the past drain away.

One boy separated himself from the crowd and made a beeline for Chris and Michael; it was Zak. Pike hadn't recognised him at first look, not now he'd been clothed and fed; showered and pruned. He looked so different minus the grime and muck, and minus the stress of command.

He stopped a few metres short of both of them appearing almost shy. "Hi Captain, Michael."

Michael nodded back a greeting. Chris smiled warmly. "Hi Zak, are you doing okay?"

Zak nodded animatedly and then averted his eyes as his nerves took over once more. "Yeah everything is great here, you've all been amazing." He turned his attention fully to Pike. "Do you think we could talk?"

Chris had been expecting this for a while, Zak had been shooting him looks for days but clearly he had needed to work up the courage for this talk. Michael glanced at Chris pointedly before heading off towards one of the tables, seeking out some young Ensigns struggling with the amount of kids running rings round them.

Pike smiled reassuringly. "Sure Zak." Chris leaned off the wall and took Zak by the shoulder; he steered him over to a quiet section of the room by the viewport looking out into space. They were still in orbit above Zak's planet so they could even see that out the view-port too.

They both leaned against the viewport and stared out at the beauty beyond, both of them backlit by the stars. Zak stared at his former planet and the surrounding space dust, unbounded wonder in his eyes. Chris recognised the look well, he had it himself every time he caught a glance of space outside a window or the main viewport. Zak had an explorer's heart.

Zak eventually broke the silence. "When I was young, before the virus, I remember dreaming about seeing the stars one day."

Chris stood silently and watched Zak reminisce. He was humbled and happy that Zak was finally able to live his childhood dream because of Discovery's intervention; he could only hope that reality would live up to Zak's dreams.

Zak positively _beamed_ when he spotted a shooting star. "My mum always told me to get my head out of the clouds but it's all I've ever wanted. To walk among the stars; to fly in space."

Chris noticed Zak's mood dip as he mentioned his mum, and an unprecedented level of sorrow invaded the boy's heart. It was sometimes easy to forget that Zak and his people all grew up without parents, and that they had them ripped away from them cruelly. The universe could be incredibly cruel.

Pike put his hand on Zak's shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'm sure she would be proud of you Zak. You were a great leader to those boys."

The gentle encouragement helped bring Zak away from the dark cloud of the past, and he eventually smiled and returned his attention to the passing asteroids outside. Chris noticed that Zak appeared to be getting restless, he was shifting from one foot to another and his fists were clenching and unclenching. Chris recognised the fidgety signs and knew that Zak was terribly anxious about something, and he was working his way up to ask the _real_ question on his mind.

Pike waited patiently and in silence; openly waiting for Zak to work up the courage on his own. He saw the moment Zak would talk before he did, when he exhaled heavily and straightened his shoulders, his stance going rigid. Zak tore his gaze from the window and looked directly at the Captain.

"I was wondering, is there any way that I could maybe join Starfleet?"

Chris understood the nerves now. Asking a question about such a life-altering life choice and one which was not entirely in his own hands. The line of thinking wasn't even the remotest-bit unexpected. Chris knew Zak had been looking up everything about Starfleet and space travel ever since he'd gotten his hands on a data pad. To be honest Chris was a little surprised the kid had taken this long to voice the question he had clearly been obsessing over for days.

"That's a longer conversation with people far better suited than me to discuss the ins and outs of everything." He started honestly; he was glad he had seen this question coming so he could give Zak a proper answer and the right contacts from the academy. If Zak could learn quickly then there was no reason why he couldn't do well, he already had great leadership skills.

Still he didn't want to give Zak false impressions, it was a great leap especially with his education deficit. "I'm not going to lie to you Zak it won't be easy, and it'll be hard work all the way. But if you stick with it and believe in Starfleet and its values then a career with the federation is incredibly rewarding."

Pike knew that if Zak put his mind to it he could do this; he had survived in isolation in a living hell for 9 years, and not only survived but led others to survive too. The strength of character needed to accomplish such a feat would serve him well in the real world; and Chris was sure that determination would push him through the academy and into a promising career.

Zak took the advice on board seriously which once again reminded Chris of how grown up Zak truly was, and how _determined_ he was. "I want to help people like you do, and I want to see the stars. I want to explore."

Chris warmed after seeing the wonder on Zak's face; the excitement of the unknown and the will to explore. Pike saw a lot of himself in Zak. The kid was a born leader thrust into difficult times. If he'd been born on Earth under different circumstances who knew where he would be already? Still it wasn't too late for him, he could be whatever he wanted to be. The greatest reward Chris could think of was seeing Zak thinking about a future, one that didn't involve dying at the age of 18, one that could actually mean something.

Chris clapped him on the shoulder warmly and smiled. "Zak you can be anything you want to be. The future is what you make of it."

_Finis_

* * *

**A/N - And that's that one complete.**

**The next story I'm working on is another one focussing on the Enterprise crew, specifically Pike, Spock and Number One. It's set after Discovery Series 2 and contains the usual hurt/comfort/drama theme**

**Until next time!**


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